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My Permaculture Design: An Overview – Work

Actually, changed my mind. I felt like jotting something down so wrote todays piece on Work as planned.

Work. It’s so fundamental to our life. In this economic state at least. I, like most middle-class kids, have worked since I was 15 or 16. I’ve have a lot of fun. Met a lot of nice people, many of whom are still good friends. But I have gotten to the point where the very act of working seems oppressive and arbitrary. If Seth Godin can ask the question, “What is school for?” then What is work for? To be sure, it’s a societal expectation. If you don’t work, you are seen as a bludger, or if you’re self-funded, teetering on boredom. But what if you can meet your financial needs without subjecting yourself the perils of paid work? That’s my aim.

The desire not to work very much is at the core of this whole episode. I have so much I would prefer to be doing so its high time I do it. Shamelessly, I like to awaken naturally. That may be at 6am or 7:13am or 10am. It doesn’t seem much that this is something I like. But it’s something within my control. If I damn well want to be able to wake up when I want, I damn well will. Then there are hobbies and pastimes and loves and passions. I like being domestic. I like running a house. My house has been neglected ever since I started full-time work. It’s struggle to enjoy it when I am exhausted by work. At 10am I would prefer to be pottering through my lush garden, coffee in hand, a list of todos, at home, to occupy my noon. Alas, paid work dominates. That’s where I spend most of my waking hours. In duress. Doing stuff I don’t believe in.

But one still has to earn money, right? Well of course. The prospect of being a dole bludger doesn’t appeal to me. Even if it means I get to reclaim all those taxes that I have paid to false causes for so long. I want to earn my keep. I believe meaning can be derived from paid work–but only meaningful work, which is not the work most of us do. Fortunately, I have a business that pays me a reasonable profit. Reasonable in living-off-grid-on-the-smell-of-an-oily-rag kind of way. That’s what I am going to live on. I am going to run my business from afar. Which I have been for the past 9 or so months. I am confident a few extra kilometres isn’t going to make a difference.

To do this, will require maybe 4-6 hours a week. The rest of the time is all mine. Time in which to get bored. Potter. Waste. Be creative. Think up ways to spend it. And work on all the projects that will directly impact my life rather than my employers profit margins.

I wish to add a bit of diversity, though. I will sell some of my surplus. Maybe vegetables and fruit. Perhaps I could write an ebook and sell it? I have the option of doing some freelancing–I have a set of skills that puts me in good stead for this. Then there is always the option of picking up the odd job here and there around town. Options. So many options. If I can provide a tip to anyone, if your job is insecure, don’t put all your eggs in one basket if at all possible.